How to Hear God’s Voice: 4 Keys
Do you want to learn to hear God’s voice and stay in step with him as you make decisions? God wants to reveal himself to us and teach us how to discern his quiet whispers.
How to Hear God’s Voice
Today, we’ll begin by discussing the most common ways God speaks to us. Then, we’ll explore a practical way to create space for listening to God. Let’s start with the ways God often speaks.
1. God speaks through his written Word.
Most reliably, God speaks through his written Word.
Has a Bible verse ever jumped off the page as if it were written just for you?
Have you ever felt like God was chasing you down with a certain passage of Scripture as it appeared in multiple places over a short time?
Maybe a Bible verse came to mind at just the right time and brought peace and refreshment.
God wants to speak to us through his written Word. The Bible is his love letter to us. Furthermore, it is living and active.
Our role in hearing from God through his Word is to spend time reading it consistently. Most of the time, we probably won’t have life-changing revelations during this time. It is more like a nourishing bowl of oatmeal than a fancy meal prepared by a famous chef.
However, over time, this Word changes us. It nourishes us. We hide it in our hearts, and God uses it to direct us, encourage us, and speak to us.
God is a good Father, and he wants to speak to his children. He speaks in many ways. Let's look at four of the most common ways he speaks into our lives together today. #GodsVoice #GodSpeaks Share on X.
2. God speaks through other people.
God also speaks through other people.
He uses others to encourage us, guide us in wisdom, and help us discern his direction in our lives.
For this reason, it’s important to have some older, wiser believers who can speak Truth into our lives.
When I receive a thought from God’s Spirit, I always test it by sharing it with another believer and making sure it aligns with the Word of God.
Meanwhile, God is not limited to speaking through Christians only. He has used people of different faiths to comfort me, encourage me, and even offer direction that aligned with his will. We should always be open to the wisdom God might want to impart through others.
3. God speaks through impressions from the Holy Spirit.
God can also speak through gentle impressions from his Holy Spirit. These impressions often come as gentle and life-giving thoughts. They are always full of peace, refreshment, and love.
We need to be careful to test these impressions and make sure they align with the written Word of God. It is also wise to test them with other believers. However, we don’t need to be afraid of “getting it wrong.”
While we should be cautious, we can trust that God does want to guide us through his Holy Spirit. When you need guidance from God, ask him directly. Then, pay attention to the thoughts you receive.
When these thoughts are life-giving, wise, and aligned with good counsel from others, they are often from God. I’ve learned that God often speaks through the voice of wisdom, a deep sense of knowing, and even common sense.
4. God speaks through circumstances.
God also speaks through circumstances. He opens and closes doors in our lives. He invites us into opportunities we could not create for ourselves.
Do you sense that God is calling you to step out in faith in some area of your life?
Test the doors of opportunity surrounding this step of faith. Are any doors opening? Are they remaining closed?
Ask God to open the right doors and close those not of him. He wants to guide you and direct you.
Let’s make this practical. I invite you to join me in the woods, and we’ll explore what it might look like to create more space to learn how to hear God’s voice.
Creating Space to Learn How to Hear God’s Voice
I slip into the woods on a Thursday evening to get lost in the chatter of the pine squirrels, the southbound honking of the Canada geese, and the kind of listening prayer that shapes a woman from the inside out.
Autumn days are getting shorter in these parts.
The afternoon sunshine foreshadows the coming months of darkness. There are whispers of vermillion on the tree line.
I sit in silence to admire a row of golden aspen.
Hearing God’s Voice
As the squirrels gnaw on walnuts, I recognize my need to create more space to hear from God amid the chatter of my full days.
I’m good at spouting off lists of requests. Meanwhile, I sense an invitation to silence myself and press close to the heart of my Father.
This evening, I begin by pulling out a notebook. I list the various places where God has called me to shine his light in the world: in our home as a wife and mother; in the community as a friend and volunteer; in the writing world; and more.
I then take the notebook home and commit to using it as a guide for my prayers.
In the days that follow, I change the way I pray.
Each morning, I open my notebook and focus on one of the key areas in my life. I spend a few minutes sitting with the Lord in silence. I ask him to align my heart with his heart, show me what I need to know, and enlighten me with his perspective.
Finally, I write down whatever comes to mind and test the impression with the following questions:
How to Hear God’s Voice
Does it align with Scripture and what I know of God in the Bible?
Does it adhere to common sense and wisdom?
What would my spiritual mentor say?
A New Way to Listen
This form of listening prayer begins changing my life.
One day at a time, I slow my pace long enough to listen for God’s heartbeat regarding the most important parts of my life.
I don’t miss it when I sense the invitation to slow down and be more fully present to my children. I can’t ignore the impressions about softening my rough edges, letting go of perfectionism, and making time for the people who matter most in my life.
Over time, this focused prayer directs my footsteps, guides my decisions, and narrows my focus.
The Lord uses it to mold me through difficulties and draw me close to his heart through uncertainties.
A New Way to Pray
Are you searching for direction in life?
Do you want to bear more fruit in your relationships?
Are you ready to find freedom in the places where you feel stuck?
God wants to help you and direct you in each of these areas. He waits for you to still yourself and seek his perspective.
He’s inviting you to carve out time to let him speak into the most important areas of your life.
God invites you to create space for him to speak into your life on a regular basis. #prayer #listeningprayer #powerfulprayers Share on XYour Invitation to Apply These Keys to Your Life
Here’s your invitation:
Write down the parts of your life that matter most to you, the places where God has called you to serve.
Write each focus area on a different piece of paper, or save them in different files on your computer. Your focus areas might include your family, your career, friendships, service within your church, extended family, neighbors, or anywhere else God has called you to serve.
Each morning, choose one focus area. Quietly let your mind settle on this focus area. Ask the Lord to unite your heart with his heart in this area of your life. Write down any thoughts that come to mind.
Use these three keys to hearing God’s voice to test the impressions on your heart:
Does it align with Scripture and what I know of God in the Bible?
Does it adhere to common sense and wisdom?
What would my spiritual mentor say?
The Lord wants to direct you. Follow where you sense he is leading. You might be surprised by the work he does in your life as you follow him in this new way of pursuing listening prayer.
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